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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

The ICRC is an independent and impartial humanitarian body with a specific mandate assigned to it under international humanitarian law, particularly the four Geneva Conventions. It actively provides many forms of protection and assistance to victims of armed conflict, as well as situations of internal strife. In cases of international armed conflict between states party to the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC is authorised to visit all places of internment, imprisonment and labour where prisoners of war or civilian internees are held. In cases of non-international armed conflicts, or situations of internal strife and tensions, it may offer its services to the conflicting parties and, with their consent, be granted access to places of detention. Delegates visit detainees with the aim of assessing and, if necessary, improving the material and psychological conditions of detention and preventing torture and ill-treatment. The visit procedures require access to all detainees and places of detention, that no limit be placed on the duration and frequency of visits, and that the delegates be able to talk freely and without witness to any detainee. Individual follow-up of the detainees’ whereabouts is also part of ICRC standard visiting procedures. Visits and the reports made on them are confidential – although the ICRC may publish its own comments if a state publicly comments on a report or visit.